I am a big fan of nature and especially water. There is something about the ocean that just calms all the chaos in my heart and whole being. And I just got struck by the beauty of the above image, I got it from Oceanwide Expeditions. And since I really enjoy nature, the below Psalm has been a favorite of mine for a while,

“God’s splendor is a tale that is told;
his testament is written in the stars.
Space itself speaks his story every day
through the marvels of the heavens.
His truth is on tour in the starry vault of the sky,
showing his skill in creation’s craftsmanship.

Each day gushes out its message to the next,
night with night whispering its knowledge to all.

Without a sound, without a word, without a voice being heard,

Yet all the world can see its story.
Everywhere its gospel is clearly read so all may know.

What a heavenly home God has set for the sun,
shining in the superdome of the sky!
See how he leaves his celestial chamber each morning,
radiant as a bridegroom ready for his wedding,
like a day-breaking champion eager to run his course.

He rises on one horizon, completing his circuit on the other,
warming lives and lands with his heat.” Psalms 19:1-6

Could you please pause and ponder on the above words? Could you please let those words revive hope and sheer awe in you?

The wonder and glory of God is that one word from His mouth can change forever the trajectory of your life. After all, isn’t He the God who spoke us into existence? “then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (Genesis 2:7)

Lord, even a thousand years would never be enough to sing Your praise. You stand alone all powerful and all merciful; God, where would we be without Your unending mercy and kindness? Surely, You know. So Father, yet again, we pray,

Prayer of Surrender
Fenelon

My God, I want to give myself to You. Give me the courage to do this. My spirit within me sighs after you. Strengthen my will. Take me. If I don’t have strength to give You everything, then draw me by the sweetness of Your love, Lord, who do I belong to, if not to You? What a horror to belong to myself and to my passions! Help me to find all my happiness in You, for there is no happiness outside of You.
Why am I afraid to break out of my chains? Do the things of this world mean more to me than You? Am I afraid to give myself to You? What a mistake! It is not even I who would give myself to You, but You who would give Yourself to me. Take my heart.
What joy it is to be with You, to be quiet so that I might hear Your voice! Feed me and teach me out of Your depths. Oh God, You only make me love You. Why should I fear to give You everything and draw close to You? To be left to the world is more frightening than this! Your mercy can overcome any obstacle. I am unworthy of You, but I can become a miracle of Your grace.

Father, take me yet again today? Father, take us please?

The Lord is my banner

If you live your life by focusing on the now, you will surely not experience the full measure of what God has for you. God wants us to focus on Him and what He is doing, and not on the temporal of this life. God wants to be your banner, God wants to fight for you. Perhaps, the word here is probably not want but desires; God desires to be your banner. God desires to fight for you. For the joy He has set before you, will you trust Him? Will you let go of your strength to take hold of His? Will you live in surrender to His careful and loving hand?

“Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under hum, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”
And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; for he said, “Because the Lord has sworn: The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” Exodus 17:8-15

Is the Lord your banner in the everyday life? Is He king over all your decisions? Are you quick to repent when His kindness convicts you (Romans 2:4)?

For the joy that is set before you, will you wait for your Savior? For He is redeeming everything. Yes, He is redeeming all your mistakes and failures. And those disappointments that you are yet to face, He has promised to be there for you for each step of your journey.

Striving against sin

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:1-4